Improvement in windmills



UNITED STATES arena* OFFICE.

IMPROVEMENT IN WINDMILLS.

Speciiication forming part of Letters Patent No. 116,555, dated July 4, 1871.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELLwooD GLEAVER, of North /Vales, in the county of ll'lontgomery and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and Improved Wind-VVheel; and l do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description tl iereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to ma-ke and use the same, reference being had to the accomlmnying drawing forming part of this specification.

My invention relates to certain improvements upon wind-wheels, which will be tirst described in eomlection with all that is necessary to a full understanding thereof and then clearly pointed out in the claim.

Figure 1 is a vertical section of my improved wind-wheel, and Fi 2 is a plan view.

Similar letters of referei ice ii idicate corre sp on ding parts.

A is the vertical shaft, on the top of which is mounted a large hollow cylinder, B, or it maybe a skeleton frame of iron, ot any kind, of a little greater height than the breadth of the vanes.

This cylinder suplnnts at its upper end two long arms or rods, (l, horizontally and at right angles to each other, and it has four spiral grooves or slots, I), in it, beginning at the bottom a little in a lvaneefie., the direction in which the wheel is to turnoiI the vertical planes ot' the vanes E, one of which hangs from each projecting part of said rods, said slots inclining rearward as they rise to the top. The vanes have tubular knuckles F F', which slide onto the rods, and they are capable of turning thereon, but are limited to about one-fourthof a revolution by a pin, (l,pass ing through a notch, H, in knuckle F, which also holds the vane from sliding oft' th e rod. The pins and notches are so arranged that the vane may be lifted by the wind when returnin gto the side for taking it again. The vaines are held in the vertical position for taking the wind by the said pins and by arms I radiating from a ring or disk, K, placed on the shaft A, so that the said arms will ln'oject out through the slots l) nea-1' the lower ends, and they are su1v ported on the upper end of a rod, L, coiled around the shaft and extending dowi'xward, and coiled around it also at the lower end, so to rise and fall on said shaft, but without turning with it, for regulating the vanes. lhen in the lowest position the vanes will hangvertically in front of the arms I while taking the wind, as indicated at a', Figs. 1 and 2, while the opposite vaines, returning to t-he wind, will be turned up, as indicated at y, Fig. 1; but if the arms are forced upward by the rod L they willrturn the vanes, taking the wind up against them into a horizontal position, and will hold those returning, and so turned up by the wind, in the same position, so that neither will take the wind more than the other, and the wheel will stop. The said arms, bein g raised part way up, will limit the action of the wind on the vane-s, and they maybe used as a regulator' therefor by the attachn'lent to the shaft below the rod L of any governor for regulating speed. 'Ihe said arms are to have fi'iciioirrollers lll applied where they bear against the vanos, and may also have them where they bear aga-inst the walls of the slots, to cause them to work with as little friction as possible. 'When the rod L is let down the arms I will be forced down by the wind acting on the valles. It will be seen that this construction is very simple, and that it furnishes a veryeftcient aplmratus, which may be very readily controlled. The arrangement ot' the rods G to extend across the cylinder l and shaft A is an important feature, for it makes the simporting of them a very simple matter; whereas, if separated at the center, it would require very powerful fastening to hold them. I may employ three or fourof these rods in alarge wheel, il' preferred; but for smaller wheels I prefer to employ only two.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent-- 1. The. combination of the vertical shaft, the rods C, and vanes hinged thereon, the spirallyslotted cylinder supporting the rods, and the verti cally-adiustable arms I, all substantially as specilied.

2, The combination, with the arms I, of thelifter L, substantially as specitied. p

The above specification of my invention signed by me this 23d day of January, 1871.

. ELLW'OOD CLEAVER.

1Witnesses:

Gno. W. Manne, ALEX. F. Renners. 

